50% Head

50% Heart

Essential Interview Preparation - What Song Should I Listen To?

We’ve all had that moment standing in front of the mirror with our headphones on, feeling like a true Beyonce. But have you ever wondered what those notes and harmonies are doing to your brain? It has been proved that music can change our moods but is it the same for everyone? And more importantly, if you are preparing for an interview, what should you be listening to that will help you perform to your best? Keep reading - there's some science here! 1. Different types of music changes how we see body language it has been proved that, if you listen to sad song whilst looking at someone with a completely neutral face, you will actually start to see the sad parts in their features. A happy song can make you interpret a neutral facial expression as positive. When you go for an interview you need to feel relaxed as you walk through the door. Conclusion: Our songs need to be as happy as Pharrell Williams

2. The volume of your music can affect your creative flow It turns out that the volume of your music can affect the way your brain works. The optimum level to release creativity is ‘moderately loud’. If songs are too loud we start becoming focused purely on the sounds in our ears which prevents other thoughts. By having your music slightly quieter it becomes more distracting meaning that our brain starts to think abnormally for solutions, allowing creative ideas to flow out more. By doing this you’ll find it easier to brain storm before your interview. Conclusion: Our song needs to be at a moderate level so no screamo rock!

3. The type of music you listen to reflects your personality People that like a certain genre of music actually show vast similarities in personality traits and this can shape the way people perceive you. After much research it's proved that people that are soul music fans tend to have a high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, gentle and put people at ease. This is exactly how you want to come across in your interview. Conclusion: Our song needs to be full of heart and soul...

4. Music improves your visual attention Scientists have tested your ability to focus your eye sight whilst listening to different sounds. This has been tested across all genres of music as well as against white noise and silence. Silence consistently ranked the worst and classical music the best. When we dug deeper, we found that it was the strings in the classical music that helped us stay focused on what we were looking at. Strings feature heavily in pop, soul and other forms of modern music. The synth sounds of dub-step music are in fact based on the original classical pieces. This is a great tip for improving your eye contact when meeting your interviewer. Conclusion: Our song needs strings whether that be the cello or the electric guitar…

5. Music improves memory performance Without realising it, the more complicated the song is the better our memories become. A song is made up of layers. The more layers it has, the more we actually start to remember because our heads are more open to letting new information in. If you can hold out and listen to classical music, that has lots of layers, but if not – try finding a song with a lot of instruments and a thick texture. This will hopefully help you to remember some clever market knowledge to mention in your interview. Conclusion: Our song needs to be more complicated than Taylor Swift’s love life…

So when we add all these things together, we’re looking for an up beat soul song with plenty of layer, a string instrument and one that sounds okay being played at moderately loud. The song that I think has all of these things, and therefore is the best song to listen to before an interview is… SOUL MAN BY SAM & DAVE Enjoy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fS9-Yimdhw If you want to test this theory but don’t have an interview to go to, check out our website to find your dream job now! Image credits: hellogiggles, comicbook, HPO, hattershostels, levisstadium

Our ray of sunshine in the Leeds office, Livvy swapped the life of a musician in London and Brighton for the grind of the recruitment industry in the North - and she's doing pretty well! Starting as an apprentice she has seen a meteoric rise in her fortunes progressing from resourcer to full consultant in record time. In her first year she qualified for our annual incentive to Palma and has really got a taste for this new life and location. The only way is up for Livvy.